Machop, Machoke, Machamp (SM)
Woah you go big guy (ka-ching) Location: Ten Carat Hill (can also be obtained in Route 2 by trading a Spearow with someone in the Pokémon Center) Stats, Evolutions In this part of the game, Machop has great HP and Attack, as well as an average defense, but all of its other stats are dreadful. Not that it needs them anyway. The traded Machop is an option for the first trial, and easily the best one because it's easier to train due to the extra experience. Not that the others are bad, in fact, Crabrawler only seems to be there to help players beat the first trial. Later into the game, Machop will struggle because of his kiddy stats, since it doesn't evolve until level 28. However, Machop evolves into Machoke just in time for the first showdown against Olivia. All of its stats improve, but it's slightly worse than the second-stage starters. It can benefit from the Eviolite, it '''NEEDS '''to benefit from the Eviolite in case you don't have anyone to trade with. Now Machoke can be decent later into the game, although it sucks that it needs to rely on the Eviolite to be good at all. It evolves into Machamp via trading, and it keeps on getting better, but more importantly, its special defense is actually decent! You've got a Pokémon that can take quite a beating due to its good HP, average defenses, and a HUGE Attack stat allows it to deliver it back multiplied by three. Better yet is the fact that if you have someone to trade with, it can evolve right away! Moves, Abilities, Typing The one you get via trading (at level 9) will have Karate Chop as its only attacking move, but all three of its status moves complement with this one attack fairly well. Leer debuffs the opponent's defense, Foresight allows it to hit ghosts (most of its level-up movepool is made up of fighting moves), and Focus Energy increases the crit rate. Four levels later, it gets Low Sweep, a must have attack if you want to absolutely wreck the next trial (and the foe's speed decrease with this move is handy too). Seismic Toss at level 15 is truly useless. Its next two moves (Revenge at 19 and Knock Off at 21) are amazing. Revenge's power doubles if Machop already took damage, while Knock Off gives it more of a chance against Ghost and Psychic types, as well as gaining a boost in power if the foe holds an item and knocking off the item (hence the name), which makes it a great choice to start trial battles with. The last moves it gets before evolving are Vital Throw at 25 and Wake-Up Slap at 27, both of which have an extra to them. Vital Throw has perfect accuracy but the user always moves last in the turn this move is selected (not a problem considering how slow it is) and Wake-Up Slap's power doubles if the target is asleep and wakes it up. When it evolves, it gets Dual Chop at level 33. There aren't many Dragons out there, but it hits hard at least. Submission at level 37 is a must-have to wreck Nanu, while Bulk Up (43) boosts its Attack and Defense. Cross Chop at level 47 will do a lot of damage, and its last notable move is Dynamic Punch, a powerful but inaccurate move that always confuses the target. Machamp gets the same moves at the same levels. Avoid teaching it special moves via TMs. Both Machoke and Machamp mostly get the same TM moves. It gets Smack Down + Earthquake/Bulldoze, Brick Break for STAB, Facade, Return, Rock Tomb, Thief, Rock Slide, Payback (Dark-type Revenge with less power), Poison Jab... The weird thing is that it gets at least four Rock-type moves. Where do the rocks come from? Its abilities are Guts and No Guard. Guts makes it hit EVEN harder when it has a status condition, while No Guard makes all moves that it and the opponent use always hit. Guts can be handy, but No Guard is better later on because inaccurate powerful moves like Cross Chop will always hit, and the mere thought of Machamp hitting is scary. It has a pure Fighting type. It's not a bad typing defensively, and offensively it's great. Important Battles Machop will be struggling in Akala, and if you can't trade Machoke, then it will keep on struggling. * Totem Gumshoos: Gumshoos will be hit very hard by Low Sweep, and the speed debuff will make it unable to outspeed it. Gumshoos hits very hard, but one Low Sweep is all it takes to make your chances of losing slim. * Totem Raticate: Here lies Raticate. He keeled over when low swept, mate. * Hala: His Pokémon don't pack any particularly nasty tricks for him, so it's good in theory. Beware of Makuhita with Fake Out. * Totem Wishiwashi: It's a great choice to start the battle with because if it knows Knock Off, it can hit Wishiwashi for 97.5 power and disable his Sitrus Berry, but don't expect it to be grandiose. Machop has NO Special Defense, which is bad considering the only attacking move of Wishiwashi and his supports, Water Gun, is a special move AND it gets STAB, and they have Rain Dance to boost water moves. Oh, and Wishiwashi's special attack stat. * Totem Salazzle: Again, a great choice to begin the battle with (if you healed during the battles before) due to Knock Off knocking Salazzle's Petaya Berry and gaining a boost in power. And again, it will suck after the beginning of the battle because the only moves the totem and its supports have are special. Fortunately, Salazzle doesn't have nearly as much defense as Wishiwashi, but pray to Arceus Machop doesn't get OHKO'd on turn one. (It doesn't, I checked the damage calculator and Salazzle only hits Machop for 61 - 71% damage, but the only thing Machop can do is to use Knock Off once.) * Totem Lurantis: Lurantis finally hits using Machop's superior defensive stats, but it's not any kinder. Pray that it uses X-Scissor (doubt it, actually) instead of Solar Blade. If Machop somehow survives on the first turn and the Power Herb wasn't used up, you can use Knock Off, but it's no use when Lurantis knows Synthesis to heal up damage. Fortunately, it knows Revenge by now, but it's no use when Lurantis can heal. The supports are particularly nasty to Machop too. * Olivia: Machoke has the type advantage and a lot of attack, as well as enough defensive stats. Machamp is even better because of its massive attack stat. * Totem Vikavolt: Still a great choice to begin the battle with, and it will keep on being good later on. Machamp will have the Strength attack, making it better than Machoke here. Plus, Machamp has a lot of attack. * Totem Mimikyu: Both suck here. Don't use them. You can't even use them to start the battle with Knock Off. * Nanu: You win, congrats. Machoke is not that much worse here. * Hapu: Mudsdale's Stamina ability is pretty UGH, but it does favorably against her other Pokémon. This is where Machoke begins to stink, although it does well against Dugtrio. * Totem Kommo-o: Kommo-o hits pretty hard, but so does Machamp and it also knows Dual Chop. If we're talking Machoke, then he'll get destroyed unless he has the Eviolite. * Hala: Still not bad, and they can hit Crabominable for super-effective damage. * Olivia: They have the type advantage, but beware of Carbink with Moonblast. * Acerola: You can spam Knock Off, but it's no fun to use just one move. You can use Foresight, and Machamp does decently well when her Pokémon are under the effects of Foresight. Still, beware of Drifblim. * Kahili: No. You can teach it a rock move, but still. No. * Kukui: This fight favors Ground and Fighting types. Good against Lycanroc, Incineroar, Decidueye (if you have Knock Off), Magnezone and Snorlax. It does decently well against Ninetales (beware of Dazzling Gleam though), and it has a disadvantage against Braviary and Primarina, but it actually has an advantage against the former. See, if Machamp is left on the brink of destruction because of Brave Bird, and it recoils, then Braviary will take a lot of damage. Machoke is kind of the same. Conclusion: Machamp has a lot of attack, but it can actually take a hit! When it comes to this, Chandelure and his massive Special Attack are better, but Machamp is easier to obtain, and it doesn't take that long to evolve. Machop will be having a lot of problems by mid-game, but it's worth it. Lots of powerful moves, an amazing ability in No Guard (Accurate Cross Chop, Stone Edge and Dynamic Punch FTW! Guts deserves some merit too though), and decent matchups make it a powerhouse. It's very slow, which combined with its just-okay bulk makes it somewhat frail, but with such a huge attack stat, he can hit hard. When it comes to TM moves it has quite a bit of variety (Lol Poison Jab and Rock Slide), and if you got it from the trade Machop, it gains extra experience that makes it easier to train. It's difficult to come up with a flaw for Machamp. But if you can't trade to evolve it, Machoke isn't terrible, but compared to Machamp... it's not that good. It's mostly the same as Machamp, but Machoke has teensy stats, like almost every other middle-stage Pokémon. Wouldn't be much of an issue, if they were well distributed. Machoke has a great attack stat, but it's slow and its defenses are sub-par. It can use the Eviolite, but I wouldn't want to rely on it too much, even though it increases its chances of survival. The worst thing is that it needs the eviolite, when in the case of other Pokémon it just makes their life easier. It's not bad with the Eviolite, but still. Machamp Rating: 86% Machoke Rating: 59% Category:Sun and Moon